Oracle

Oracle announced today the creation of the Oracle Pro Series, a schedule of more than 25 new ATP, WTA and ITF World Tennis Tour professional tournaments to be held across the United States over the course of 2019 and 2020. The Oracle Pro Series will create more than 40 percent new playing opportunities in the United States for tennis professionals.

Nearly all the tournaments will be combined men’s and women’s events with equal prize money ranging from $25,000 to $108,000 per tournament. The six combined tournaments scheduled for the fall of 2019 offer equal prize money of $25,000 and will be played in California, Texas and Florida. The 2019 Oracle Pro Series schedule is as follows:

The final schedule for 2020 will include more than 20 tournaments, most of which will be combined events. Locations will be announced later this year.

“At Oracle, we’re looking at this holistically,” said Oracle CEO Mark Hurd. “We want more exposure for tennis at all levels in the United States. All of our efforts, from awards to tournament series to collegiate sponsorships and strategic partnerships, are pieces of an overall plan to raise the quality of American tennis.”

In addition to more playing opportunities in the U.S., the Oracle Pro Series will expand the pathway for the next generation of aspiring champions from college tennis up to the ATP Tour and the WTA Tour. The Oracle Pro Series will reward success with immediate access to higher level tournaments by connecting all Oracle events into one merit-based path to the highest levels of international professional tennis.

Oracle is partnering with InsideOut Sports & Entertainment, led by former World No. 1 and Hall of Famer Jim Courier and his business partner Jon Venison, to manage the Oracle Pro Series. InsideOut brings more than 15 years of experience producing live and televised events.

“The Oracle Pro Series is an unprecedented expansion in the number of U.S. professional tournaments and reinforces Oracle’s commitment to advancing the sport,” said Courier. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Oracle to give up-and-coming players more opportunities to compete for prize money, improve their rankings and launch their careers. Together, we will play a big part influencing the future of tennis in the U.S.”

Oracle also supports collegiate tennis through sponsorship of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). This includes hosting several marquee ITA championship events throughout the year such as the Oracle ITA Masters and the Oracle ITA Fall Championships. At the grassroots level, Oracle supports tennis through its strategic partnership with Universal Tennis Rating (UTR). UTR leverages Oracle’s industry leading cloud technology to power its algorithm-based, big-data rating system and digital platform.

Tennis Associations Endorse Oracle Pro Series
“This series of events has been created to provide an unprecedented level of opportunities for aspiring young players to compete and earn the valuable WTA ranking points needed to earn a ranking that will provide them the ability to realize their dreams of playing at the highest levels of the sport.” ~ Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO

“The ATP continues to focus on enhancing and strengthening the ATP Challenger Tour, and we welcome Oracle’s growing involvement at this level of the sport. The Oracle Pro Series will provide increased opportunities for players competing on the pathway to the ATP Tour, and we look forward to seeing the series come to life.” ~ Ross Hutchins, ATP Chief Player Officer

“We are incredibly excited that Oracle is providing even more opportunities for American players to compete throughout the year, as well as more opportunities for fans to attend professional tennis events throughout the country. These events help develop American talent and serve as a stepping stone for players to reach the highest levels of the game, while at the same time inspire kids across the nation to pick up a racket and play this sport.” ~ Stacey Allaster, USTA Chief Executive, Professional Tennis

About Oracle Tennis
Oracle is committed to supporting American tennis for all players across the collegiate and professional levels. Through sponsorship of tournaments, players, ranking, organizations and more, Oracle has infused the sport with vital resources and increased opportunities for players to further their careers.

The Invesco Series QQQ tennis circuit is returning to Rice University in Houston for a second straight year as Andy Roddick, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Mark Philippoussis and James Blake will compete on Thursday, November 14 as part of a new Oracle Challenger Series event.

The one-day Oracle Champions Cup will be played during the Oracle Challenger Series men’s and women’s tournament for up-and-coming professionals to be held November 10-17 at Rice University’s George R. Brown Tennis Center. This event will mark the third different tournament where the Invesco Series QQQ tennis circuit have collaborated with the Oracle Challenger Series in 2019. Earlier this year, the Invesco Series was featured as part of the Oracle Challenger Series in Newport Beach, Calif., while Yale University will host an Invesco Series event on Saturday, September 7 as part of the New Haven Oracle Challenger Series event.

“The Invesco Series has a long and storied history in Houston, including our first ever event back in 2005, so we are thrilled to create more history and memories as part of this Oracle Challenger Series event at Rice University,” said Jon Venison, co-founding partner of the Invesco Series. “We are excited and grateful to once again partner with Oracle for an event like this that will provide a lot of excitement for tennis in Houston this coming November.”

Each Invesco Series QQQ event features two one-set semifinal matches and a one-set championship match with players making their own line calls with the assistance of electronic line-calling. Play on Thursday, November 14 will begin at 7pm with James Blake playing Juan Carlos Ferrero in the first semifinal followed by Andy Roddick against Mark Philippoussis in the second semifinal. The one-set championship match will immediately follow the second semifinal. Tickets and VIP experience packages are available for sale at www.InvescoSeries.com starting on Wednesday, August 21.

Roddick, a resident of Austin, Texas and the 2003 U.S. Open champion, headlines the field in his home state and will be joined by Ferrero, the former world No. 1 and 2003 French Open champion, Philippoussis, a runner-up at Wimbledon in 2003 and at the U.S. Open in 1998, and Blake, the former world No. 4. Last October at Rice University’s Tudor Fieldhouse, Blake won the title defeating John McEnroe 7-6(3) in the final after beating Roddick in the semifinal.

Houston will be one of 10 events on the 2019 Invesco Series, the North American tennis circuit for players over the age 30. Earlier this season, Haas kicked off the 15th season of this Champions Series tennis tour by defeating Roddick 7-6 (2) in the title match at the Oracle Champions Cup in Newport Beach, Calif., in another collaborative effort between the Invesco Series and the Oracle Challenger Series. Blake won the second event of the season at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla., in April defeating Jim Courier 6-3 in the final. Lleyton Hewitt won the third title of the season in Charleston, S.C., while Haas won his second title of the season in Maui, Hawaii in May.

The remaining 2019 Invesco Series QQQ schedule, with player fields, is as follows

In 2018, Blake won his first Invesco Series QQQ year-long points championship by winning titles in Winston-Salem, New Haven and Houston, while also finishing as runner-up in Los Angeles and Orlando.

In 2017, the year-long points championship was decided in the final match of the season when Andy Roddick defeated James Blake in the Los Angeles final at the Sherwood Country Club. Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion and world No. 1, won four Invesco Series QQQ titles in all in 2017, winning in Birmingham, Ala., Chicago, Lincoln, Neb., and Los Angeles. Blake, the former world No. 4 and former U.S. Davis Cup star, won series titles in Charleston, S.C., Winston-Salem, N.C. and in Lynchburg, Va.

In 2016, Mark Philippoussis won the Series points title with 1600 points and tournament titles in Memphis, Tulsa, Newport, Winston-Salem and New Haven. Roddick finished in second place, also earning 1600 points but losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Philippoussis 5-2, while winning titles in Charleston, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Orlando. Blake finished in third place with 1100 points and tournament titles in Chicago, Portland and Brooklyn.

In 2015, Roddick won the Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points, winning titles in Salt Lake City and Vancouver. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Invesco Series QQQ tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT
InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $5 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or InvescoSeries.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

ABOUT HORIZON MEDIA
Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago. Horizon Media was chosen as 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek as well as by Ad Age and as one of the world’s ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year. Most recently, in 2014, Bill Koenigsberg was named 4As Chair of the Board and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100-year history of the 4As, the marketing industry’s leading trade association. The company’s mission is “To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere.” By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $5.3 billion and over 1,200 employees. The company is also a founding member of Columbus Media International, a multi-national partnership of independent media agencies. For more information, please visit horizonmedia.com

ABOUT INVESCO
Invesco Ltd. is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. NYSE: IVZ; Invesco.com, Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the US distributor for Invesco Ltd. and is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.”

LOS ANGELES – The 2019 Invesco Series QQQ tennis circuit will kick off Saturday, January 26 with the new Oracle Champions Cup to be played at the Newport Beach Tennis Club in Newport Beach, Calif., during the Oracle Challenger Series event.

Former U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, former world No. 2 Tommy Haas, 2018 Invesco Series points champion James Blake and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Mardy Fish will compete in the one-day tournament to kick off the 14thseason of the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30.

Tickets to the event start at $35 and are now on sale. Tickets along with VIP packages will be available at www.InvescoSeries.com. The event will start at 6pm and will feature two one-set semifinal matches followed by the one-set final-round match.

“I’m excited to start off the year competing against James, Mardy and Tommy at the Oracle Champions Cup at the Newport Beach Tennis Club, which is one of the great tennis venues in the United States,” said Roddick. “This will be my sixth year playing on the Invesco Series QQQ circuit, and I’m looking forward to another fun year of great tennis, competition and good times.”

The Oracle Champions Cup will be played during the third event in the 2018-2019 Oracle Challenger Series, which aims to provide new opportunities for American tennis players to secure both ranking points and prize money.

The second announced Invesco Series QQQ event for 2019 will be in Charleston, S.C. on April 6 at 8:30 pm, as part of the WTA Tour’s Volvo Car Open. Roddick will also headline the field and will join two-time French and Australian Open champion Jim Courier, former Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion Lleyton Hewitt and seven-time major champion Mats Wilander. Tickets are available at www.InvescoSeries.com.

The full 2019 Invesco Series QQQ circuit schedule will be unveiled in January.

Blake won his first Invesco Series QQQ year-long points championship in 2018 by winning titles in Winston-Salem, New Haven and Houston, while also finishing as runner-up in Los Angeles and Orlando. The full results from 2018 can be found below.

In 2017, the year-long points championship was decided in the final match of the season when Andy Roddick defeated James Blake in the Los Angeles final at the Sherwood Country Club. Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion and world No. 1, won four Invesco Series QQQ titles in all in 2017, winning in Birmingham, Ala., Chicago, Lincoln, Neb., and Los Angeles. Blake, the former world No. 4 and former U.S. Davis Cup star, won series titles in Charleston, S.C., Winston-Salem, N.C. and in Lynchburg, Va.

In 2016, Mark Philippoussis won the Series points title with 1600 points and tournament titles in Memphis, Tulsa, Newport, Winston-Salem and New Haven. Roddick finished in second place, also earning 1600 points but losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Philippoussis 5-2, while winning titles in Charleston, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Orlando. Blake finished in third place with 1100 points and tournament titles in Chicago, Portland and Brooklyn.

In 2015, Roddick won the Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points, winning titles in Salt Lake City and Vancouver. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Invesco Series QQQ tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT
InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $5 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or InvescoSeries.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

ABOUT HORIZON MEDIA
Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago. Horizon Media was chosen as 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek as well as by Ad Age and as one of the world’s ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year. Most recently, in 2014, Bill Koenigsberg was named 4As Chair of the Board and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100 year history of the 4As, the marketing industry’s leading trade association. The company’s mission is “To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere.” By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $5.3 billion and over 1,200 employees. The company is also a founding member of Columbus Media International, a multi-national partnership of independent media agencies. For more information, pleasevisithorizonmedia.com.

ABOUT INVESCO
Invesco Ltd. is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. NYSE: IVZ; Invesco.com, Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the US distributor for Invesco Ltd. and is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.”